SOUR CHERRY PIE

Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Gourmand and King Arthur Baking

 

Ingredients:

1 double pie crust recipe

5 or 6 c sour cherries, pitted (2 - 2½ lbs at the market)

1 c granulated sugar

3½ T corn starch

¼ t salt

¼ t almond extract

2 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 T milk

1 T demerara sugar 

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F and place rack in lower third of oven.  Place the pie dish on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper.

 

Mix the cherries, sugar, corn starch, salt and almond extract in a large bowl and set aside to dissolve for 10 minutes.

Roll out one portion of pastry and press into the pie dish, leaving edges untrimmed.

 

Pour cherry filling into pastry-lined dish.  Dot with butter pieces.

 

Roll out second portion of pastry and cut into 1" strips.  Lattice this across the filled pie dish, then fold over the edges of the pastry and crimp.

Brush lattice and crimped edge with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

 

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 45-55 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling.

 

Cool to room temperature before serving.

COLESLAW

Ingredients:

 

3 c green cabbage, shredded

1/2 t salt

1 shallot, minced

3 T white vinegar, divided

 

1/4 c greek yogurt

1/4 c kewpie mayonnaise

pinch MSG

pinch celery seed

 

1 c shredded carrot, about 1 large 

 

 

Method:

Toss the cabbage with the salt in a large bowl, and let sit, squeezing occasionally, for half an hour.  

 

Toss the shallot with 1 T vinegar.  

 

Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 T vinegar with the rest of the dressing ingredients in a serving bowl. 

 

Squeeze the cabbage, drain thoroughly.  Drain the shallot and toss it, the cabbage, and the carrot, in the bowl with the dressing. 

HONEY WALNUT BREAD

From Earth to Table, via Food & Wine's 2010 Best Cookbook Recipes

Ingredients:

 

2 c walnut pieces

2¾ c bread flour

1½ c whole wheat flour

1 T + 1 t salt

1 t instant yeast

 

1½ c warm water*

¼ c olive oil 

½ c honey

 

 

Method:

 

 

Preheat oven too 350° F and toast the walnuts for 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flours, salt, yeast and walnuts.

 

In a medium bowl, mix the oil, honey and 1½ c warm water. 

 

With the stand mixer running, pour the honey mixture into the flour mixture and knead until smooth.  The dough should be sticky.

 

Lightly oil bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. 

 

Meanwhile, butter two loaf pans. 

Once risen, turn out onto a floured surface and push out the air.  Cut the dough in half and gently form into two loaves.  Place into the prepared loaf pans, cover, and rise until doubled, 1 more hour.

 

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Score the loaves down the center of each loaf.  Bake until risen and browned on top, 35-45 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

 

 

_____

*Reduced water from 2 c, which made an unkneadably wet dough. 

POTATO KALE CAKES

Ingredients:

 

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 c skim ricotta cheese
2 oz cheddar (½ c)
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 T olive oil, divided
4 c kale, finely chopped
¾ c scallions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ t red pepper flakes
¼ t smoked paprika 

 

 

Method:

Simmer potato cubes in salted water until tender, drain.

Combine potato, cheeses, salt and pepper in a large bowl and gently toss.

Heat 2 t oil a large skillet over medium.  Add kale, scallions and garlic.  Cook until kale is tender, 5 minutes.  Stir in pepper flakes and paprika.  Add kale mixture to potato mixture, stirring gently to combine.

Divide potato mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping into one-inch-thick patties. 

Wipe out skillet, add 2 t oil and return to medium heat.  Cook patties until golden, 4 minutes each side.  

Repeat with remaining oil until all patties are cooked.  

BROILED BELGIAN ENDIVE WITH FRESH TOMATO DRESSING

Ingredients:

For the endives:

2 Belgian endives, halved
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

 

For the dressing: 

½ garlic clove, crushed
¼ t Herbamare
½ t sugar
½ t dijon mustard
1 T white wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
1 tomato, diced
2 t chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley) 

 

 

Method:

Set broiler to high.

Rub endives with oil and place cut-side down in a broiler-safe baking pan.

Broil until spots begin to brown and puff up.

Flip and broil on cut side until it begins to brown as well.

Meanwhile, whisk together garlic, Herbamare, sugar, mustard and white wine vinegar  in a large bowl.  Whisk in olive oil to emulsify.  Add tomato and fresh herbs and stir to combine. 

Season the endives and top with dressing. 

BROILED GARLIC MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

 

1 lb cremini mushrooms, stemmed and halved or quartered, depending on size
3 T salted butter, divided
2 t balsamic vinegar, or glaze
3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed 

 

 

Method:

 

Set broiler to high.

Place the mushrooms and 2 T butter in a broiler-safe 9" x 13" baking pan.

  
Broil until the moisture is driven from the mushrooms, and they begin to brown, stirring every 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 T butter, balsamic vinegar and garlic, stir, and broil until very fragrant, 2 to 3 more minutes.

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes

 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 T maple syrup 

1 t dried sage

½ t dried thyme

½ t fenugreek leaves 

½ t garlic powder

½ t salt

½ t white pepper

¼ t smoked paprika 

Pinch nutmeg and clove

 

 

Method:

 

Mix well, fry in butter. 

RUSSIAN VINIGRET SALAD

From Natasha's Kitchen

 

Ingredients:

3 medium beets, trimmed and scrubbed
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed
3 medium carrots, scrubbed
½ c sauerkraut, drained
3 medium pickles, or 20 cornichons
2 T olive oil
2 T white vinegar
1 small onion, minced 
Salt, pepper and dried dill  

 

 

Method:

 

Cut the beets into quarters and bring to a boil in a large dutch oven with the potatoes and carrots.

Meanwhile, rinse the onion in boiling water, drain, and pickle in the vinegar until ready to assemble the salad. 

Check the vegetables for tenderness after 20 minutes.  The potatoes and carrots should be just tender, with some resistance.  The beets may require an additional 20 minutes of cooking.

Drain and rinse the vegetables until cool enough to handle, then peel.

Dice the vegetables and pickles and toss in a large bowl with the olive oil and sauerkraut. 

Add the onion, vinegar, salt, pepper and dried dill, and taste for seasoning.  

VANILLA SAUCE

From Einfach Backen

 

Ingredients:

 

500 ml milk, divided

50 g sugar

15 g cornstarch

2 egg yolks

1 pinch salt 

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, or 1 t vanilla*

 

 

Method:

 

Pour 400 ml milk into a small saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean and bring to a simmer over low heat.

 

Place the sugar, cornstarch, yolks, salt and vanilla seeds into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth, then pour in the remaining milk and whisk again.

 

Once the milk in the saucepan is simmering, whisk in the egg yolk mixture.

 

Simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat.

 

*If using vanilla extract, stir it in once the sauce is removed from heat. 

LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE & LEMON CURD

Adapted from the Olive Oil Cake on this site

Makes one standard loaf or two mini loaves and one flat loaf

 

Ingredients:

170 g flour

230 g sugar

1 t kosher salt

¼ t baking soda

½ t baking powder

100 g olive oil*

2 eggs

240 ml milk*

1 t citrus zest

80 ml lemon (or orange) juice, ~ 1½ fruit

2 T poppy seeds 

 

For the glaze:

½ t lemon zest
2 t lemon juice
¼ c powdered sugar

Method:

Heat the oven to 350 °F.  Fashion a sling out of parchment paper to cover the bottom and sides of your chosen loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, soda and powder together.  Transfer to a small bowl.  In the large bowl, whisk the eggs and olive oil together to emulsify.  Add the milk, zest and juice.  Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes (or 35, if using small pans), or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.  

 

Meanwhile, whisk the glaze together in a small bowl.  It should be thick enough to leave a trace on the surface of the glaze, but fluid enough to spread.

 

Once the cake has cooled slightly, cover with glaze.  Leave in the pan until the glaze is mostly set, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, lift the cake out by the parchment sling and cool.

___

*I reduced the olive oil quantity from 130 ml to 100 ml, because the cake was very oily.  To compensate, I increased the milk from 215 ml to 240 ml.  If the previous change is detrimental, consider substituting yogurt for some of the oil.

 

 

 

LEMON CURD:

Very loosely adapted from Preppy Kitchen 

 

Ingredients:

 

3 T lemon juice

1/3 c sugar

zest of half a lemon

2 egg yolks

2 T butter, unsalted, cubed

Method:

 

Rub the lemon zest and sugar together in a small saucepan, off heat.  Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.  Add the lemon juice and whisk until smooth.  Cook over low heat until the mixture just begins to bubble and thicken, remove from heat.  Add the butter and whisk as it melts. 

DUMPLING SAUCE

From Youtube

 

Ingredients:

 

1 small garlic clove, grated 

2 t sugar 

3 T hot water 

1 T soy sauce 

2 t Chinese chili oil 

1 t toasted sesame oil 

1/2 t Chinese black vinegar

 

 

Method:

 

Mix and enjoy over boiled or steamed dumplings.